Catching Robin
by weneedourheroes
Summary: Pre-Reboot. Lies and secrets are a part of high school, a fact that Nell Little is about to learn the hard way. It all starts when she finds out Damian's real name. Tie in that takes place four years after Broken Glass.
1. The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

Ch. 1 The First Day to the Rest of Your Life

"Nell! Sweetie, are you up? You don't want to be late for your first day!" my Mom yelled from the kitchen.

_Why did I set my alarm when Mom was gunna wake me up early anyway? _I lazily raised my hand to check the alarm clock on my nightstand. The clock read six o'clock - a whole half an hour before my alarm would have actually sounded. It was always like this the night before the first day of a new school year. I never get enough sleep because I would worry. I'd worry if my teachers were going to be nice or whether or not I'd have lunch with my friends. I'd mostly worry about things I couldn't control.

But this time was different. Today was my freshman year at Gotham High, and I've never felt more nervous in my life. I got out of bed and walked across the hall to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, put my hair up and made my way to the kitchen for some breakfast.

"Good morning, honey. Are you excited for your first day of high school?" Mom greeted, handing me a plate of eggs and sausages.

"Morning, Mom," I answered as I sat down and grabbed my fork. "I'm more nervous than excited."

"That's normal Nell, don't worry," Mom comforted. She then placed a glass of orange juice next to my plate. "Now eat up so you can get dressed."

I nodded in agreement as I lifted a forkful of scrambled eggs to my mouth. I made quick work of my breakfast, downed my juice and placed my dishes in the sink. I walked back to my room to figure out what to wear. I stared at my closet for what seemed like forever. I decided to play it safe and just wear jeans and a gray long sleeved shirt. The next time I looked at my alarm clock, it read six thirty. I had twenty-five minutes to get to the bus stop.

I slipped on my sneakers, grabbed my book bag and walked to my mom's room. She was getting ready for work at the diner. Mom was always sacrificing, whether it was waking up early to make me breakfast or working fifty hours a week to make sure we got by.

I shook the thought out of my head. I didn't need to tear up on my first day of school. I knocked on Mom's door. "Hey Mom, I'm gunna head out."

Mom walked over to me and brought me into a tight hug. She kissed my forehead and whispered, "I love you, Nell. Be good and have a great first day."

"I love you too Mom, and I'll try," I answered.

The bus ride to Gotham High wasn't too bad. Once all of the busses arrived, the teachers quickly herded the students into the school. Finding my homeroom was my first challenge of the day; it took a couple of wrong turns before I finally stumbled upon it. There wasn't anything special about the room. There was a chalkboard, a few corny posters, and a screen to use with a projector. The one thing that was interesting about the room was that it had the desks arranged in a circle. Most of the seats were already filled so I just slipped in and took one of the empty seats furthest from the door.

Once the late bell rang, I saw other kids in the hall running to make it to their homerooms. Just then, our teacher walked in and closed the door. He took a seat at his desk at the front of the room and looked at the circle of students before him. He quickly called out roll to make sure we were all in the right place.

Luckily, today was a half-day at school, so the day wouldn't have been as long as it normally would be. After lockers were handed out and everyone was situated, there were morning announcements and all that jazz. Then the bell rang, dismissing us to our first class. I took a few advanced classes so I could challenge myself. My first class of the day was my Honors English class, which was taught by my homeroom teacher. When everyone in my class arrived, the teacher took one of the seats at the top of the circle.

"Good morning class," our teacher greeted. "My name is Mr. Barton, and welcome to Freshman Honors English. I know that we're going to have a great year together."

Mr. Barton then handed out a syllabus and explained everything about the class. It seemed interesting; most of the stories we'd be studying involve epics, like _The Iliad _and _Gilgamesh_.

"Alright class, since a majority of the course is going to explore the world of heroes and myths, I thought you'd like a chance to tell me about yourselves." Mr. Barton then wrote a question on the board. _Who's your hero?_

Once everyone had a chance to think the question over, Mr. Barton went around the circle to hear our answers. Most people answered that their parents or the police were their heroes. There were even some kids who answered Superman.

When it was my turn, I turned to my classmates and teacher and answered proudly, "Batgirl."

* * *

The rest of the day went by pretty quickly. I was able to make a few new friends in my classes, so today wasn't a total disaster. I felt my pocket vibrate and realized that I got a text message.

_Wanna go to the mall after school? – Lizzie_

Since it was a half-day, I didn't see the harm in stopping by the mall after school. I texted Lizzie back and told her that I would meet her at her bus. I walked onto her bus and noticed Lizzie with her headphones in, her blond hair bouncing as her head nodded to the beat. Once Lizzie noticed me she scooted over and patted the spot next to her.

"I asked Shannon if she could drive us, and she said sure," Lizzie greeted with a smile. Lizzie and I have been best friends for years. I met Lizzie, along with our other friends Tyler and Vincent, at the hospital a few years ago when Batgirl was hurt.

"Sounds great!" I yelled in mock enthusiasm. Lizzie nudged my shoulder, and she went on about her first day at school.

We made it to Lizzie's bus stop in no time, and we saw her sister Shannon waiting in her car. Shannon went to college at Gotham University. She didn't have class today so she was more than happy to drive us. She asked us about our day and Lizzie kept going on and on about her classes. I rolled my eyes at the retelling of her story.

It didn't take long for us to get to the mall. Once inside, we went straight for the food court, which was our usual meeting place. I recognized Tyler, who was waving at us to come over to his table. When we got closer to the table, I noticed that Tyler was already munching on a burrito.

"Hiya, Tyler," I greeted, taking a seat next to him. Tyler could only answer with a wave, or else some burrito would have spilled out.

"Geez, are you ever _not _eating?" Lizzie teased as she tousled Tyler's chestnut hair.

Tyler gulped down before answering. "Hey c'mon Liz, I got hungry since we didn't have lunch today. Besides, I got you and Nell one too!"

He nudged the tray that held two unclaimed burritos, offering them to us. A smile crept onto my face in acceptance of the free chow.

Lizzie also grabbed hers and unwrapped it, taking a satisfied bite. In the middle of her chews she asked Tyler, "So, where's Vince?"

Tyler and I sighed at her question. It was always like this. If Vince weren't with us, Lizzie would ask about him and vice versa. It was as if the two of them thought they were being discreet about their feelings for each other. Tyler and I weren't blind; we knew what was going on.

"I think he had to go home and help his mom out or something," Tyler answered, scratching the back of his head. "He texted me to tell you guys that he couldn't make it."

"Did he say anything else?" Lizzie interrogated, taking another bite of her burrito.

Tyler raised an eyebrow as he grabbed a napkin and wiped his hands. He then reached into his pocket, retrieved his cell phone and handed it to Lizzie. She read the messaged and I swear, the entire food court could hear the squeal that left her lips.

"Holy crap Lizzie, was it that good of a message?" I asked. I was slouching in my chair in an attempt to hide my face from the stares of surrounding strangers.

"Uh huh," Lizzie nodded dreamily. A rosy blush spread across pale skin, and her sapphire eyes filled with excitement. "Vince said I was beautiful."

Vince wasn't lying either. Lizzie was definitely pretty. She was the type of girl that didn't need to spend hours applying make-up every morning. She didn't care about how the girls in the magazines looked. All she cared about was being happy with who she was. That's what Vince liked most about her. Whenever Vince and I hung out together, he'd constantly talk about Lizzie. It was borderline annoying.

"Sooooo, what are you going to do about it, lover girl?" Tyler asked.

Lizzie's blush deepened, "I'm not sure. What do you think I should do, Nell?"

"Wait, why are you asking me?" I coughed, almost choking on my food. "You're the one who's actually had a boyfriend!"

"But Vince's different! He's one of my best friends. I just don't wanna mess it up," Lizzie sighed.

I was about to answer Lizzie before my eyes caught two people walking into the food court. One of them was a blond woman wearing a purple shirt with jeans. It looked like she could be in college. She was with a miserable looking boy who seemed to be around our age. He was wearing a black jacket that revealed a white shirt underneath and a pair of dark jeans. Oddly enough, both of them looked familiar. After staring off into space for a few seconds I realized that the boy was Bruce! I only saw him a couple of times since we met, and I never saw him around school.

The next thing I knew, Tyler waved his hand in front of me. "Earth to Nell…"

I quickly snapped out of my trance and shook my head. I pointed towards Bruce and said, "I think I know that boy."

"Him?" Lizzie asked. "He looks kinda cute. Who's that with him? His girlfriend?"

"I don't think so. I think she's just a friend," I speculated.

"Um guys, don't you know who that is?" Tyler asked.

Lizzie shook her head causing Tyler to sigh. "That's Damian Wayne, Bruce Wayne's youngest son. Don't you guys ever watch the news?"

"Nope," Lizzie and I answered together.

"Nell, go talk to him," Lizzie encouraged with a wink.

_I think I will._ I stood up and made my way over to the pair. They were waiting for their burgers, and I overheard some of their conversation.

"Why do you keep insisting that I eat this filth?" he asked, looking at the burger that was being prepared.

"Y'know Damian, one day you'll thank me for showing you how it feels to be a real kid," answered his partner. _So his name's really Damian?_

"And ingesting a greasy burger is part of being a kid?"

"Yup yup," his friend nodded.

Once they were finished talking, I tapped Damian on the shoulder. "Bruce, is that you?"

I noticed that he turned rigid as soon as his false name left my lips. When he turned around, his scowl was replaced with a wide-eyed and confused look. His friend tried to hide the smile that spread across her face.

"Um, hi Nell?" Damian answered.

"So you do remember me _Bruce_ or is it really Damian Wayne?" I accused. Damian looked a little nervous, but all his friend did was laugh.

"Oh, that's our order. Why don't I give you kids some space and go look for a table," she said, patting Damian on the head as she left.

"What are you doing here?" Damian asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm here with my friends when I noticed you," I answered.

"Erm, well I guess you know who I am?" Damian asked.

"Duh," I sassed. "Why'd you lie to me all those years ago?"

"Ugh, I just didn't want to be recognized," Damian shrugged. He was as stiff as ever.

"Well I guess I get it. You are kinda famous, right?" I answered, folding my arms over my chest. "So, who were you with just now?"

"My friend, Stephanie."

"She seems nice." I was failing at my attempt at small talk. _Could this get any more awkward?_

"tt. She's annoying," Damian spat. "She drags me everywhere I don't want to go."

"She's kinda like your big sister then?" I laughed. I noticed Damian's face softened ever so slightly.

"I suppose she is at times," Damian shrugged. "Anyway, I think your friends are waiting for you."

I turned around to see that Lizzie and Tyler were staring at us. _Ugh, talk about discreet guys._ "Yeah, looks like it."

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Nell." Damian then turned to meet up with Stephanie.

"Wait!" I yelled as I grabbed Damian's wrist. I grabbed a pen from the burger joint's counter and quickly scribbled my number on Damian's palm, blowing on it to dry the ink. "Here's my number. Text me sometime."

"Erm, sure." Damian mumbled, and I could see his cheeks redden.

Realizing what I just did, I turned around and walked as quickly as I could to our table. As soon as I sat down, Lizzie gave me two thumbs up and Tyler was laughing so hard his face turned scarlet.

"Nell, did you just give Damian _Wayne_ your number?" Tyler wheezed between laughing fits.

I blushed, "I didn't have time to think it through, okay."

"Go Nell! Hey, maybe we can finally double?" Lizzie teased.

"Calm down, Lizzie. He's still here!" I shushed. "And you aren't even going out with Vince!"

Lizzie dismissed me with a wave of her hand. "Details baby, details. I can't believe you actually gave him your number, Nell. Way to put yourself out there! AND he's a Wayne! You sure shoot high."

"It's not like that!" I spat as I threw my hands up. "I met him when I was ten, and I always wondered what happened to him. I just wanted to be able to keep in touch."

"Keep telling yourself that sweetie."


	2. Three Day Rule

Ch. 2 Three Day Rule

It was almost a tradition for Lizzie and me to pig out on pizza every Friday night. This week we decided to hang out at Lizzie's house and watch the crummy movies they showed on TV. After school, we went straight to Lizzie's and took over the living room.

Shannon was home and was already expecting me. She was in the dining room and had her nose deep in a textbook. Shannon looked like she was in complete study mode. She was in a baggy hoodie and sweats with her long blond hair tied up and there were snacks all around her.

Lizzie and I waved to Shannon as we made our way to the fridge to grab some sodas and order the pizza. Once everything was set, we got situated on the couch, turned off the lights and flicked on the TV.

The movie itself wasn't too interesting, but that wasn't really the point. Lizzie and I spent most of our time making fun of the movie. It went on for a while but then Lizzie got quiet all of a sudden. She then turned to me with a serious face.

"So Nell, did Damian ever text you?" Lizzie asked as she grabbed another slice of pizza.

We were halfway through our movie when Lizzie asked her question. _To think, I actually believed that Lizzie could focus on what we were watching. This was probably her plan all along._

I rolled my eyes and placed my slice back onto my paper plate. "No, he hasn't. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," Lizzie answered. "It's just you gave him your number two days ago."

"So? What does that have to do anything?" I asked.

Lizzie grabbed the remote and muted the movie. "It has to do with everything, Nell. Haven't you heard of the three day rule?"

"The what?" I mumbled as I took a bite of pizza.

"The three day rule!" Lizzie started. "If a boy likes you, he'll wait three days after he gets your number to text you! That way, he doesn't seem too desperate."

"That makes absolutely no sense!" I laughed. _No way people actually believed this._

Lizzie shrugged. "Hey, it's worked for me. Anyway, you should just keep an eye on your phone the next couple of days."

I laughed it off. Lizzie was definitely pulling my leg.

We watched and made fun of movies for hours. Before I knew it, I felt my pocket vibrate and I realized that Mom must have been wondering when I'd get home. I checked my phone and realized that it was almost ten. Lizzie knew that it was almost my curfew and got up to start throwing our trash away. I got my things together and met her and Shannon in the kitchen. Lizzie then turned to Shannon.

"Hey Shannon, can you take Nell home?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah, of course. Lemmie get my keys," Shannon answered.

Once Shannon grabbed her keys, we all made our way to the car. Normally, Lizzie's mom or dad would drive me home, but they went on some sort of couple's retreat. It's a good thing Shannon's a good sport and didn't mind driving. It took about ten minutes to get to my apartment building.

"Thanks for driving me home, Shannon," I said as I shrugged my book bag onto my shoulder.

"No problem, Nell," Shannon answered. I exited the back seat and gave Lizzie an awkward hug through the passenger side window.

I was about to let go when I felt Lizzie tighten our embrace. She then whispered, "Don't forget about the three day rule."

Lizzie and Shannon waited until I made it into the building before driving off. Unfortunately, the elevator in our building was being repaired. Luckily we lived on the third floor, so the walk upstairs didn't take too long.

As soon as I closed the door, I saw Mom in the living room in her robe and slippers eating some ice cream.

She looked up from the TV and smiled. "Welcome home sweetie, did you have fun at Lizzie's?"

"Thanks Mom, and yeah I did," I answered. I looked over to the TV and noticed that Mom was watching the news.

"I'm glad you're home, the news was just talking about how there's been some muggings in the area," Mom said. "It's getting worse and worse out there."

News like that was on almost every night in Gotham. There never seemed to be an end to crime. I just hope that Batgirl, Robin and everyone else can find these guys soon.

* * *

My Saturday morning was as uneventful as ever. Mom had to get to the diner early this morning, so I was home alone. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and brought it to my room. I walked over to my desk, placed my bowl to the side and went on my new laptop. It was a present from Mom for high school. It was just a small netbook, but it was mine and I appreciated how much Mom must have saved up to get it for me. I checked some emails and surfed the net for a while but it eventually got boring.

Instead of trying to find something to do, I decided to get ahead in some of the readings for school. I grabbed _The Iliad _from my book bag and started to read as I ate my almost soggy cereal. Once in a while I'd glace up at the window above my desk. I didn't have the best view, but there was always something interesting going on outside.

I read for a few minutes before I realized that my phone started to ring. I picked it up without checking the number. _It was probably Lizzie or Tyler trying to see if I was free today._

"Hello?" I answered. But there was no response. "Hello? Anyone there?"

I looked at my screen and didn't recognize the number. I could hear some people talking in the background but no one was actually talking to me. _They must have butt dialed me. _I hung up the phone and grabbed my empty bowl. Once I put my bowl in the sink, I heard my phone ring again.

It was the same number. _This must be some sort of prank._

I answered again, a little annoyed. "_Hello?_"

"Um, hello is this Nell?" The voice asked.

"Yes, and who's this?" I didn't recognize the person on the line. I paced around the kitchen table as I tried to figure out who this was.

"This is Damian, erm Damian Wayne," he answered.

I stopped in my tracks and I felt my jaw drop. Everything suddenly got quiet and I could feel my heartbeat in my ears. _Crap, what do I say? This can't be because of Lizzie's three-day rule._

There was an awkward silence that filled the room. I was so unprepared. My train of thought was put to a halt when I heard Damian take in a breath.

"Hello? Nell?" Damian asked. "Are you still there?"

"Umm, yeah sorry Damian," I apologized. "I was just surprised that you called."

"Oh, well yes. I actually called to see how you're doing," Damian stuttered.

"I'm fine, a little bored actually. I was just doing some reading for school," I answered.

"That sounds horrible." It almost sounded like Damian chuckled. _Well that's something I've never thought I'd hear. _The line was quiet for a few seconds before I heard someone in the background.

The muffled voice seemed to be talking to Damian. The voice said, "C'mon Damian, ask her!"

"Hush up, Brown!" I heard Damian hiss. He then coughed and spoke again. "Nell, I was… I was actually wondering if you wouldn't mind meeting up with me later today?"

_Wait, did Damian just ask me out?_

"Um, yeah sure… Where were you thinking about meeting?"

"Well, I thought I'd let you pick."

"Oh… well there's this small coffee shop near my apartment," I stuttered. I then told Damian the address and the time that would be best to meet.

"Great, I'll see you there," Damian said.

"Kay, see you," I said as I hung up the phone.

_Whoa, that was totally unexpected. _I was debating whether or not to call Lizzie. She'd probably throw a fit if I didn't call her. But then again, I didn't wanna hear her go on and on about how right she was.

* * *

When I looked up from my book it was around four thirty. I had to meet Damian at the coffee shop in about an hour. I placed _The Iliad _back on my desk and walked over to my closet. I decided to wear a black over the shoulder sweater with some dark jeans.

After I got dressed, I padded over across the hall to the bathroom. I quickly brushed my teeth and splashed some water on my face before curling my hair. I decided against any make up. I wasn't that great with putting that stuff on and besides, I don't think this was _that_ kind of meet up.

As I was finishing up, I heard the door open and a sigh come from the living room. I peeked my head out of the bathroom to see Mom placing her purse on the counter. She looked beat.

"Hey Mom," I greeted as I exited the bathroom.

"Hello, sweetie," Mom answered. She looked up from rummaging in her purse to see me walk into the room. "Why, don't you look cute Nell, is there something I should know?"

"Oh, I'm just meeting someone at The Cavern," I answered.

Mom raised an eyebrow as her lips curled into a smirk. "And who are you meeting? Someone I know?"

"It's just someone I met a few years back. We recently got in touch and he asked me to meet him in a little bit."

"Well that sounds nice, sweetheart," Mom said. She then walked over to me and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Just be careful okay, it'll be dark soon. I don't want you walking home alone. Call me and I can be over there to walk with you in no time."

"Don't worry Mom, I'll be fine," I said as I pulled her into a hug. "What's the worst that could happen?"

It didn't take long for me to walk to The Gotham City Cavern. It was a small bookstore and coffee shop owned by Vince's parents. Vince usually worked there after school and on the weekends, so I tried to make a trip over once or twice a week to keep him company.

The bell rang as soon as I opened the door. The aroma of fresh coffee brewing filled the air. Mom always drank coffee in the morning and even though I didn't like it too much, the scent of a new pot always helped wake me up.

I did a quick scan of the room as the door thudded behind me. There were a couple of college kids in the corner sipping on the Cavern's oversized mugs. And Vince was behind the counter ringing up a customer. He saw me and winked my way as he accepted the customer's cash. There was a line, so Vince would be busy for a while. Then, I glanced over at the window to see Damian already seated at one of the tables.

Damian noticed me as I walked over and stood up to greet me. "Hello, Nell."

"Hi Damian, I'm glad you found the place all right," I answered. I hung my purse on the back of the chair as I took the seat opposite of Damian.

"Stephanie knew about this place and she insisted on dropping me off," Damian answered. He was wearing a black shirt with the top button undone and khakis.

_Man, does Damian always dress like this? Or was it because he was meeting me?_ I shook my head._ Don't think like that Nell, this isn't a date._

"That was nice of her. So, where is she now?" I asked. It seemed that Stephanie and Damian were always together.

"She's with her husband," Damian answered with a snort.

"Wait a sec… Stephanie's married!?"

Before Damian could answer, I saw someone approaching from the corner of my eye. When I looked up I saw Vince. He must have just finished with the line of customers.

"Hi Nell," Vince greeted.

"Hey, Vince," I answered. "It looks like today's pretty quiet."

"Yeah, not too many people have been coming this late. It's because of the muggings in the area."

"That's just terrible. Have you guys been okay?"

"Yeah, Mom had a new security system installed and Dad's in the back right now," Vince explained as he used his thumb to motion behind the counter. "You actually missed Lizzie, she visited earlier today."

"Oh, that's okay. I wouldn't wanna intrude on your time together," I winked. I could see a blush cross Vince's cheeks.

"So," Vince coughed. "What brings you here today anyways?"

"I actually wanted to bring Damian here to try one of your mom's scones."

When I looked over to Damian, he had his hands folded and he was patiently listening to our conversation. When Damian locked eyes with Vince, he offered him a hand. "I'm Damian. It's a pleasure."

"I'm Vince, nice to meet you Damian." Vince accepted the handshake and flashed his signature smile.

That was when I noticed something different about Vince today. Vince always tried to experiment with his looks. Last week he tried to see if he could pull off floral shirts, and now this week he styled his hair up. Vince was a real free spirit. There was no wonder Lizzie fell for him.

"So, what can I get you guys?" Vince asked.

"I'll have a cup of green tea and an orange and cranberry scone," I recited. That was my usual whenever I came to The Cavern.

"Okie doke, how about you Damian?"

"I'll have the same."

"Sure thing, be right back with that guys," Vince said before leaving.

After Vince left, it suddenly got quiet between us. It wasn't awkward or anything, it was just different. Normally when I hung out with Lizzie, Tyler or Vince we always talk about stuff that's been going on in school or on a show we all watched. There was never a dull moment with those guys. But Damian was different. I barely saw Damian in the four years since we met but there was something about him that made me comfortable just sitting with him. After a few seconds, Damian looked up from the table and spoke.

"So, you two know each other?" Damian asked. He seemed genuinely interested, or he just wanted to be polite.

I nodded. "Yeah, we've known each other for years. We met when we went to the hospital to see if Batgirl was okay."

"Oh, you're a Batgirl fan?" Damian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah I am. You got a problem with it?" I sassed as I crossed my arms. Not many people really understood what Batgirl meant to me.

"No, quite the opposite," Damian smiled, flashing perfect white teeth. "I think it's interesting that you admire a vigilante."

That smile took me by surprise. "Oh … well thanks. Not many people get it y'know?"

"I know what you mean. These vigilantes try so hard to help the city, and ask for nothing in return," Damian reaffirmed.

"That's exactly where I'm coming from!" I said as I leaned forward. "Batgirl, Batman, Robin and the other heroes in this city are working so hard to protect us. I just wish other people saw it the way you and I do."

At that moment, I heard a ring coming from Damian's pocket. He scrunched his nose as he reached to his jeans and pulled out his phone.

"Excuse me, Nell," Damian apologized as he stood up. He walked toward the door, pacing a bit as he answered his phone.

I couldn't hear what Damian was saying but I could tell that he wasn't happy. _I wonder whom he's talking to? _ After a few minutes, Damian came back to the table. His face was sullen and he looked disappointed.

"I'm sorry Nell, but it seems that I need to cut this short," Damian apologized. "They need me back at home."

"Oh, that's too bad, you just got here," I said. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine. I just need to help my sister with something."

"I guess I can't convince you to wait until the scones get here," I asked. _Wait, he has a sister?_

"Sorry, my sister said it couldn't wait," Damian sighed. "Will you be alright on your own? My driver could drop you off somewhere."

I waved my hand. "Don't worry about me, I don't live to far away. Besides, I think I'll hang out with Vince for a while."

"Very well," he said. Damian then pulled out his wallet and placed a twenty-dollar bill on the table. "Tell Vince to keep the change."

My eyes widened for a second. _Whoa, that's way more than what we owe._

"You don't have to pay for the whole thing. We can split the bill," I said in protest.

Damian raised a hand to stop me. "I insist. See you later, Nell, I really enjoyed talking with you." With that, Damian left The Cavern.

"Here we are," Vince said as he walked over with our order. He noticed the empty seat and looked around. "Wait, where'd Damian go?"

"He had to go home. There was something he needed to do," I answered. "He paid for the tea and scones before he left though."

"Well isn't he a swell guy?" Vince said as he placed the tray on the table. He then grabbed the twenty and slipped it into his apron before taking a seat. "So, _that _was Damian Wayne?"

"Yeah," I nodded as I grabbed one of the scones and picked off a piece. "He just called me out of the blue today and asked to meet up. Totally unexpected."

"Y'know, Lizzie told me that it's been three days…"

"C'mon Vince, don't tell me that you're buying into her crazy rules too!"

Vince smirked, "I'm just teasing, Nell. All I'm saying is that he came all this way to meet with you and got the bill. Maybe this meeting was supposed to be more than friendly."

Vince raised an eyebrow and shot me his smirk. I just shook my head and shoved Vince from across the table. "Shut up, it's definitely not like that!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Vince shrugged.

* * *

I stayed with Vince for another hour and before I knew it, it got pretty dark outside. Vince was busy helping a customer and I didn't wanna bother him. So I grabbed my bag and started to walk back home.

_I know Mom wanted me to call her when I was ready to leave, but she worked so long today. She deserves the rest._

It was a pretty calm night. Normally I would have taken my time and enjoyed my walk; but Mom would worry if I missed curfew. I made a turn into an alleyway that was my usual shortcut back home.

I got about halfway through until I noticed someone walking towards me. I didn't think much of it until I noticed that a few more guys joined him. They walked in a V formation so the whole alley was blocked off. I turned my head to see that a couple more guys were coming from the other side.

_Crap, this isn't good. Thank God Mom insisted that I bring my mace. Just stay calm, Nell._

There was no time to get nervous. I reached into my purse and ripped out my pepper spray. But before I could use it, one of the men grabbed my arms and held them against my sides.

"Mace's pretty dangerous little lady, wouldn't want anyone to get hurt," one of the men said. He stepped forward and grabbed my purse. After examining what was inside, he threw it on the ground. "There's nothing valuable in there."

"What do you expect, asshole? You're mugging a kid!" I spat. I was terrified, but had to hide it. Guys like them could smell fear.

"You've got quite the mouth on you. Kids these days don't know a thing about respect." The man inched closer so I was staring straight at him. I could smell the alcohol and cigarettes off his breath.

_This guy must be their leader. Well, it's now or never. _I took a chance and kicked the leader right in the groin. His scream filled the alleyway. Then I focused every ounce of strength I had and swung my head back. I heard a loud crack coupled with a shout and my arms were finally free. I took the opportunity to run, spraying mace at anyone who got in my way.

"What are you waiting for, grab that little bitch!" the leader yelled.

I could hear the men yelling, trying to get to me. I was running for my life. The Cavern was the closest place that was still open. I was almost at the other end of the alley when I saw a figure block my way. He was huge and wore a trench coat and a hat. I stopped right before the man.

_He must be with them. There's no way I can get past him._

I could hear the other men getting closer and closer before stopping.

"Hey, thanks for the help big guy. But you aren't getting a share if that's what you were hoping for," the leader yelled, his breathing erratic.

I was constantly looking back and forth between the group of muggers and the behemoth in front of me. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The big guy stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulders. I tensed up, trying to prepare myself for what would happen next. But nothing came.

"Get behind me," the man commanded as he stepped in front of me. "So, you think it's fun scaring teenage girls?"

_Wait, so he's not a part of their gang? Just who is this guy?_

"What your deal man?" one of the muggers asked. "You gunna help us or not?"

"It's the scum like you that make Gotham seem like such a bad place," the man answered. He reached into his trench coat and slipped on a pair of brass knuckles. I was able to read the word that was on his knuckle-dusters. _Abuse? Is that his name?_

He then took off his hat and handed it to me. _Sure, I'll just stay here while you beat the crap outta these guys._

"You don't know who you're messing with man!" the leader yelled. "Gettim!"

The fight was totally one sided. Abuse was as strong as he looked. It didn't take long for him to knock out four of the five muggers. He left the leader for last. But instead of fighting, the leader turned around and ran the other way.

"He's getting away!" I yelled to Abuse.

"Wait for it…" Abuse answered. I could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

The next thing I knew, I saw the leader trip and fall to the ground. Then, a shadow swooped in right next to the man. I could hear the leader yelling as the figure was coming closer and closer to Abuse and me. Before I knew it, the shadow threw the gang leader in a pile with the other muggers.

"What took you so long?" Abuse asked. _He must know who this is._

"I was held up with Black Bat," the shadow answered as he tied all five men together. "Were these the muggers? I found this purse on the other end of the alley."

"Yeah, they were bothering this girl," Abuse said as the shadow walked into the light. That's when everything clicked.

"Robin...?" I whispered. _This is just crazy._

Robin must have heard me because peeked behind Abuse to see me holding the hat. "Nell? Is that you?"

He walked past Abuse and stopped right in front of me. Robin was taller than me so I had to tilt my head a little to keep eye contact. I could see the whites of Robin's mask from under the hood he wore.

"You… You remember me?" I asked. _Wow… it really is Robin…_

"Yes, of course I do," Robin answered as he pulled back the hood and handed me back my purse. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, now I am. These guys tried to mug me, but I didn't have anything valuable. Then when I broke free, they chased me. I was lucky when Abuse came along."

"Happy to help," Abuse said as he took back his hat. "Hope I didn't scare you back there."

Robin seemed to tense up after hearing what happened. The whites of his mask grew narrow as he clenched his jaw. Abuse must have noticed it too because he placed a hand on Robin's shoulder.

_What the heck's going on? Why's Robin getting so worked up?_

After a few minutes, Robin's breathing seemed to calm down and his shoulders loosened. The gesture seemed to ease whatever was bothering Robin.

Robin took in a deep breath and turned to me. "Nell, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered. "I just wanna go home."

Robin nodded as he clicked a button on his belt, "I'll escort you home then."

I heard the revving of a motorcycle approaching from behind me. A few seconds passed before a red and black cycle stopped right next to Robin. He then handed me a helmet and motioned for me to get on. Once we were both secure on the cycle, Robin turned to Abuse.

"See you later, Abuse," Robin said. "The cops should be here soon, you should get outta here."

"Sure thing Robin, it was good seeing you," Abuse said as he connected fists with Robin.

It didn't take us long to get to my apartment building. He parked his cycle in the alleyway so that no one could find it. While we were walking Robin still seemed a little jumpy, always looking around. _Man, is this what Batgirl has to deal with all the time?_

There was something familiar about how I felt around Robin. He hasn't spoken a word since we left the alleyway, but I was completely comfortable with the silence. When we got to the front entrance I quickly grabbed my keys from my bag and unlocked the door.

"Thanks for taking me home, Robin," I said as I walked inside.

But when I looked back, he was gone.


End file.
